The Gift of Chess is a nonprofit organization transforming lives through the universal language of chess. Its goal is to use chess as a cognitive rehabilitation tool for at risk youth along with those currently and formerly incarcerated.
Tony Ballard, its Director of Prison Outreach recently paid a visit to Topeka Correctional Facility, the only women’s prison in Kansas to deliver the the Gift of Chess to women who had been imprisoned for crimes against society and to impact their lives for the better through the game of chess.
A special room has recently been opened in the prison specifically for chess classes. Incancerated women are taught to play chess by Shari, who has been imprisoned for over 25 years. She spents several hours teaching her inmates how to play. Many of them had just started playing a few weeks ago. Speaking of her motivation, Shari says that she is happy to see women that she taught chess, imroving their skills and winning tournaments.
“I was impressed at the competitiveness of the game & how determined they were. They were excited to learn they were to be a part of the first-ever women’s chess tournament that is officially rated by the United states Chess Federation.We told them that they are pioneers in this effort to get chess programming into prisons nationwide. I told them the story of Beth Harmon in the Queens Gambit. I let them know they could be just as great as she was.” – said Tony Ballard after the visit.
To learn more about the Gift of Chess project, join the first in-person Chess for Freedom Conference that will take place from 17-20 May, 2023, in Chicago, USA. The event, featuring many experts from the worldwide chess community, will be broadcast live on FIDE’s Youtube channel. To join the Zoom call and ask questions to the speakers, you would need to register via the following link .
